The Winter That Brought A Stray
by GluttonousRice
Summary: Sesshomaru must court the bride his mother has selected to continue to rule over his father's lands. Unimpressed by the new bride, he prays to the kami for a mate. A princess falls from the sky and lands in his private gardens. Lady Kimi's plans blow up in her face when Sesshomaru desires to make the girl his. Though, he'll have to deal with her suitors first. All six of them! K&S
1. Snow

The Winter That Brought A Stray.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, all credit goes to Rumiko Takahashi.

Note: This story will start rather slow, and chapters will be short. However, please be patient and respect the adventure that is to come.

-Snow-

The sun in all its glory blazed out over the heaven of the morn. A soft wash of gold color filled the expanse of the sky. The tone of the painted heaven above worked against the many shades of blues, whites, and greys over the snowy landscape of The Western Lands.

In the extensive gardens of the Palace of The Tsuki no Inu, a white rabbit with long pink ears fed on the bright ruby berries of a snow-dusted Nanakamado bush. Nearby a red kitsune hunted the rabbit, creeping along the tan dormant blades of frost-coated Hakone grasses.

The winter air sang with a rich chill that strummed tree branch icicles creating a beautiful natural song. The gnarled garden sakura trees donned thick jackets of fluffy white puff. At the heart of this snowy garden laid a frozen pond.

Handsome autumn kissed koi drift beneath the entrapped flowers and leaves of the icy pod's surface. From his bedroom, the famed Lord of The West gazed absently out the window of his pavilion. Calculating golden eyes roamed over the snowy landscape below.

So extraordinary was this handsome lord that on the eve of his birth, the spirit of winter, Kuraokami, came down from the heavens and blessed him with eternal fortune. However, it was the god of war, Hachiman-shin, that gave him the name Sesshomaru.

On this morning, the lord's long snow-kissed hair laid unbridled down his broad back. Silvery strands hung down the sides of his temples, brushing his cheeks. Sesshomaru tapped his pristinely manicured claws across the dragon etched into the surface of the desk that he occupied.

Blinking his eyes, Sesshomaru could still see the remnants of his dream. Warm, melting visions of himself floating lucidly through the clouds with a nameless woman in his arms haunted him still.

Try as he might, he could not prevent it as the wintery morning sky spirited away his mind. Oh, how he longed to glide along the contours of the pillowy vapors. Sadly he could only watch them shuffle on by in the golden river of the heavenly dawn above.

Traces of slumber showed in his gilded eyes as he turned his attention to the gardens below. In his private moment, a smile graced Sesshomaru's thin conch shell-pink lips at the sheets of ice covering the weaving sakura trees in the courtyard.

His mental venture ended and his smile fell away at the arrival of a powerful aura. The aura clashed with his inner strength and provoked the beast resting under his skin. The beautiful black diamonds that made up his pupils narrowed into frightening slits.

He stood from his chair and thrust out the longer layers of his gray decorative sleeping robes to readjust them. He clasped his hands behind his back, turning on the heels of his peony-blue sleeping slippers toward the grand pair of oak doors at the causeway of his chambers.

His signature mask of indifference replaced the sleepy expression on his face, and he mentally braced himself for the woman coming down the hall with an entourage behind her.

-Lady Mother-

A lady of supreme birth entered the pavilion of the Western Castle's lord. The grinning moon on her forehead and the lone jagged stripes on each of her high cheekbones stood out against her pale skin. The burnt orange sewed floral patterns of her dark maroon regal morning wear clashed with the brighter tones of the hall.

The lady, Kimitsu was impeccably distinguished by her late husband's council as one of the wisest advisors to the West. Through the years, the lady became the backbone of the aging Tsuki no Inu Empire. All who served her both feared and loved her. Lady Mother continued some of her late husband's traditions while enforcing laws of her own that her advisors deemed beneficial to the country's growth.

The group passed by the handcrafted rainbow glass chrysanthemum lanterns strategically placed along the golden walls and oriental spiraling blue-green glass inu-demons making up the pillars of Sesshomaru's pavilion.

As Lady Kimitsu approached the doors, two Shadowcat servants dutifully bent at the waist acknowledging their lady, and their matching black ponytails fell over their shoulders in sequence. They raised after seeing the lady motion with the end of her black fan for them to stand. The guards bowed their heads respectfully and pulled open the massive oak doors for her.

From the gold painted corner of her eye, Lady Kimitsu saw movement in the distance and paused. She turned her head to the side, and the party behind her performed the same action. At the opposite end of the hall, a small kappa came bustling down the floral patterned carpet, running as fast as his short legs would carry him. The imp slid to halt in front of the lady panting with his webbed hands on his knees.

Kimitsu released a puff of hair from her nose and curled her magenta lip up in the commencement of a snarl. However, she corrected herself and merely rolled her eyes at the ugly demon's antics. Jaken glared at her before turning to let his lord know of the lady's arrival.

The Lady Mother didn't wait for the little fiend acting as her son's advisor to announce her. She shook out her sleeves and tossed her head up as she entered the room, and she did so with her head held proudly.

Just as the imp opened his mouth to speak, the end of the lady's sleeve smacked the kappa across the face as she passed him. The demon casts a glare at the back of her head, messaging his sore beak with his hands, grumbling. He ignored the laughs and derogatory comments from all eighteen of her cohorts, and the two extras that shuffled in behind her.

"Lady Mother." The lord addressed coolly.

Lady Kimitsu was visually pleased, seeing that she'd left him no time to make himself decent. Her golden eyes smiled at him in return, and she bowed her head with respect causing some of her many dazzling jade hair ornaments to clink against each other. Her entourage performed the same action.

"Ah my Lord-son, it is a joy to see you. I do hope the morning frost has been kind to you." She responded sweetly. Sesshomaru eyed her skeptically, unsure of her intentions.

"Hn, you as well. Tell me, what brings the Lady Mother to my presence with such a large audience so early in the morn?" He addressed pointedly with a stern expression.

Kimitsu knew at that moment that she was not welcome. The faint tinge of annoyance in her son's bitter words was proof enough. She saw the little bastard, Jaken, grinning at her from the corner of her eye. She swallowed down her ire for the kappa and proceeded with her plan.

"Forgive my punctuality. I rise before the sun, so matters of the Western House can be completed dutifully in your honor. The time has come, Lord Sesshomaru. The West shan't go without a lady any longer. Come forward, Miyabi hime-sama." Kimitsu called as she held her hand out toward the crowd of her advisors. A young demoness stepped forward and took the lady's hand.

"I take pleasure in introducing your bride, Miyabi Hime, Princess of the Wetlands!" Kimi declared. She trained her eyes on her son, watching his expression change at the beautiful buxom teal haired demoness she guided next to her. Jaken's mouth dropped open at those words. The kappa couldn't believe Lady Kimi was foolish enough to try something that bold against his lord.

Sesshomaru tipped his chin up sharply as he silently scrutinized the princess. Some of the closer male advisors cast wandering glances over the princess's erotic shape.

The soft mint and teal tones of the Wetland-styled jūnihitoe Miyabi wore over her curvaceous form contrasted beautifully with her golden scales, and her dark skin. Sesshomaru found the aqua symbols of her yokai heritage and sun-golden skin ugly.

Miyabi's eyes were an enchanting green leaf color. Her soft cheeks, round chin, and puffy mint lips made her face seem childish. Miyabi's bright blue hair was tied back in tight, intricate knots, and decorated with priceless gems from the Riverlands.

While this showed Sesshomaru her martial wealth and mating allure, he didn't fancy this new bride at all. His bride to be was a fish! Displeasure blazed in his golden eyes at the Wetland princess, and he narrowed them at her. Miyabi stared back amorously at her lord-husband to be.

Even dressed how he was, in simple sleeping attire, the famed dog-lord was more handsome than her sisters rumored him to be. With hair as pure as snow, attractive features blessed truly by the moon, and penetrating eyes as yellow as gold, Sesshomaru unintentionally stole the maiden's heart. His image left her with quickening palpitations of the heart, sweaty palms, round florid cheeks.

The princess's arousal flooded the room loudly, taking the lord and Jaken by surprise. The odor of river scum, marsh mud, acrid knotweed flowers, and decaying reeds offended Sesshomaru's nose. Many of the males in the room enjoyed the refreshing aroma, except Jaken. He covered his beak with his sleeve, cringing at the stench.

"My father Youten sends his regards. It is an honor to become your mate, my lord! I shall bare you many healthy offspring!" Promised the fish-bride as she hid her blushing face shyly behind her teal sleeve.

"Why you overzealous sea cow!" Jaken began to crow at the princess, but a surprise smack from Kimi's fan stunned him into silence.

"You would do well to hold your tongue, you loathsome creature!" Lady Kimi hissed under her breath as she fanned herself. Sesshomaru's hard eyes flickered between the princess and his mother. The Lord of The West had an itch to fry some fish before his mother and her court.

Lady Kimi comically waved her violet fan faster in the air to dissipate the heat that was radiating off an infuriated Sesshomaru to keep her make up from melting off. The temperature in the room rose six degrees due to the lord's boiling rage, and everyone in the room suddenly grew uncomfortable. Miyabi and Jaken suddenly grew thirsty.

Kimi's lips pulled down at the sight of her son's narrowing eyes and his top lip curling back in the commencement of a snarl. Not giving him the chance to reject the young princess, Kimi quickly interrupted him.

"My Lord-Son, please keep in mind the Court of Lords' demands. You are to introduce a mate to them at the ball of The Four Kingdoms. I beg you, you must accept Miyabi for the future of our lands, for your future." His mother warned, but he didn't care.

"Leave us! Jaken! Send that fish-wench right back to the pond she crawled out of!" Lord Sesshomaru dismissed. He turned his back to them and folded his arms over his chest. His angry golden eyes stared out of the window in deep thought at the precarious situation his mother placed him in. Kimi's nervous fanning ceased instantly, and the simple flick of her wrist snapped it shut.

"Yes, milord!" The imp yipped.

He had to hold back a cackle as he watched The Lady Mother's plan fall to pieces before her very eyes. Princess Miyabi's expression fell at her betrothed's words, as did her handmaiden's. Lady Kimi's beautiful face marred with dark lines at Jaken as he signaled for the guards to remove the sobbing fish-bride and her handmaiden.

Kimi's eyes burned with betrayal at the backs of her advisors. The party shuffled out until Sesshomaru and herself were the only ones left in his room. She released a loud nasally sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose with her long bejeweled opal nails. She knew her weighted words wouldn't pass through the thickness of her son's pride, but she didn't expect him to insult the princess too.

"Much time has passed since your father's death, son. The rules royals abide by are different now. Being an honorable ruler nowadays means next to nothing. It takes money to buy other lord's advisors, their generals, and their armies.

As your mother, I have to ensure a proper lady reprises my role. You must offer Miyabi an apology. She is a beautiful demoness that possesses a hefty dowery," Kimi explained as she rested her hand on his shoulder.

"I'm trying to help you Sesshomaru-sama! A match between us and the Wetlands will give us a monetary advantage over those that seek to destroy us. Should you fail to present a mate to the Court of Lords, you will forfeit your claim to the Western throne, and your cousin, Ryusaki, will replace you!" Sesshomaru turned to her with a look of disgust.

"I've excused your blatant disregard of my position many times, but now, mother. Now, you've overstepped your place! This one will choose a mate of his liking! Should you interfere in my personal affairs ever again, you will suffer!" He snarled in her face and slapped her hand away from his person. Kimi instantly bristled from the action.

"Such a disrespectful pup! I am the very wind beneath your wings, child! Do not forget how much of this empire I have built! I have exhausted much of my resources to keep you on the throne! I will not allow all that I have worked so tirelessly for to fall into my sister's clutches because of your incompetence, Sesshomaru!" She snapped at him, and her delicate fan nearly broke in two under the pressure of her clenched fist.

"You have wronged me first by attempting to marry me to a fish, and have me play pawn to that obese fish-lord, Youten! Well, mother, where you have your resources, I have mine! I do not fear the Court of Lords nor Setsuko or her son. I'll kill those who oppose me, lords, aunts, cousins and all!" He swore.

Kimi blinked her now teary eyes, and she shook her head with a small smirk.

"That is where you will fail my son, just as your father did."

"Get out," he snarled at her.

Kimi turned her back to her son, desiring not to show him how much he hurt her. She hurried toward the door so he wouldn't see her cry, but he had already smelled the salt. Upon reaching the door, his mother paused choking back a sob. She breathed softly and turned her head to the side swiftly causing some of the ornaments and jewels in her hair to sway.

"The future of the Tsuki no Inu Dynasty is in your hands. You must make a choice soon, my son." His mother warned gravely with a silvery tear trickling down her pale cheek. Then as quickly as Kimi had come, she left, and Sesshomaru was alone again.

The great Inu sunk down into his chair with a sigh. He knew his mother's heart was in the right place, but her underhanded methods and lack of faith in his father's values were off-putting. The young lord lived by his late father's examples and would not buy the loyalty of others. Even so, he knew the future of his father's legacy rested upon him to make a choice.

If only there were a way to make his fated woman appear out of thin air. Sesshomaru smirked hopelessly to himself. Was it too much to ask the kami for a pure maiden to fall from the sky and steal his icy heart?

Little did he know, such a thing was entirely possible.

Quite possible indeed.

End.

Feel free to drop a review and let me know what you think! Constructive criticisms are very much appreciated.

Until next time, GR.


	2. Maidens and Dragons

The Winter That Brought A Stray.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, all credit goes to Rumiko Takahashi.

Note: Thanks to those who reviewed my first chapter! This story will progress rather slow, and episodes will be short. However, please be patient and respect the adventure that is to come.

-Dragons and Maidens-

With his advisors presenting plans for the upcoming ball and helping him lord over his territories, Sesshomaru had yet to explore the new winter landscape. He decided to take leave from his palace. The daiyōkai tested his yokai to see if there was any immediate danger lurking on his lands before taking time to travel to the gardens.

His golden eyes glowed from inside the shade exuded by the magnificent trees surrounding him. His pale silver hair embodied moonlight brightly as he traveled stealthily along the forest line. He passed over a small creek. The water underneath still ran as clumps of ice and snow swirled together above the current sweeping down the snowy hillside.

He found this beautiful surrounding to be peaceful and serene. Winter had come so fast that the cherry blossoms hadn't fallen. The branches of the gardens sakura bore clusters of beautifully preserved pink flowers. He enjoyed the songs of the whispering wind and the crunch of fresh virgin snow under his leather boots. His counsel and his mother left him with little time for such private pleasures.

-The Fall of Dragonkind-

A free dragon was a rarity in this day and age, as most had fallen after the War of The Four Kingdoms. Before there were four kingdoms, there was five. The Fifth was the cradle of dragon kind, the root of all mystic creatures and magic. A king beyond the seas had his army storm the birthplace of dragons hoping to seize the magical properties of Shuǐhuā for himself.

In the chilling hours of the night, foreign ships quietly emerged from sinister red fog covering the sea. From the beaches came these bearded crusaders who mercilessly slaughtered many sleeping dragonfolk in their beds, and in the streets of Shuǐhuā. Shamans deployed from the air and used their evil magic to harness many dragon souls as well as innocent virgins from the outer lands. They tainted dragon souls and utilized the fertile wombs of these women for the creation of grotesque war abominations.

Many dragons fled their homeland, but most were treated terribly in the new cities where they dwelled. Hope faded from the hearts of the lost dragons as they watched the extermination of their race by the very nations that swore to protect them. The Genocide of Dragonkin is a dark stain on the history of the Four Kingdoms.

Out of several hundred lineages of dragons, ten survived after the war, but only four names remained known. The Li (White/Ivory) of the South, Yu (Obsidian/Black) of The East, Ong-Yi (The Red/ Ruby) of The North, and Yao (The Blue/Sapphire) of The West.

On This day high over the Western Lands, an ivory dragon went zigzagging through the crisp morning skies. On the back of the little dragon rode an injured girl of great importance.

"Li Yuhua, I fear I may not be able to hold on for much longer! The air up here is thin! Can't you fly lower," the girl begged breathlessly. She inclined her head to keep the wind out of her face as her black hair and long silk sleeves whipped behind her.

"Forgive me Gōngzhǔ (princess) but, you must bear with it! We've yet to reach safety in Northern Territories of the wolves. It would be risky were I to fly lower in this unfamiliar terrain. Hold tight to me, we shall reach our destination soon," urged the dragon while swaying her long body to and fro. The princess' fingers curled tightly into to the soft golden mane and buried her face into simmering scales of her companion.

Li Yuhua's sharp silver eyes widened at a spike of mysterious aura coming from behind. The dragon glanced back quickly, spotting a black form slipping in and out of the clouds. The muscles in the ivory dragon's silver eyes contracted.

Her eyes revealed a sizeable black Ryu with red eyes bursting through the clouds. It was the very same male dragon that had pursued them back at the southern territories. Li Yuhua swore she saw him grinning at her. Oh by the gods, why was he following them now?

The princess at the center of the dragon's back felt the shimmering scales under her body tense. She lifted her head from the golden mane; her delicate face expressed slight concern.

"What's the matter Li Yuhua," asked the princess.

"That damned black dragon, he's caught up with us already," Li Yuhua answered as she opted to increase her speed.

The chances of them out flying him were slim. The black dragon was more significant in size, far more agile, and well skilled in this unknown region than she. In the midst of formulating a strategy to lose the dragon, a sharp scent hit Li Yuhua's blue nose. She realized it to be the princess's blood, and it was growing stronger by the passing minute.

"Gongzhu your wounds, they are worsening," Li Yuhua stated worriedly over her shoulder. The girl shook her head, trying to push down the throbbing pain in her shoulder. She guessed that the wound the palace assassin gave her was probably severe, possibly life-threatening even, but she had to meet with the wolves.

"Never mind it Li Yuhua, if I do not reach the North with this seal, then this is war will be all for naught," dutifully stated the princess. She could not let her mother, brother, and her countrymen down.

"Oh, princess, you are a beacon of joy and purity. Goddess Amatatsu smiles upon you even now!" The dragon howled.

Li Yuhua felt pride in her princess, but she knew full well the girl would not make it. Her blood gave off notes of sakura blossoms, the tang of peaches, and the sickly sweet kiss of approaching death. Drops of shining crimson filled the air behind them like a trail. Perhaps that was how the other dragon had found them so quickly.

Li Yuhua didn't have time to dwell on that fact as said black beast appeared beside her. She snarled at him, baring her teeth. The male dragon attacked her, his body slamming right into hers. The force of the black dragon's hit flung the little princess off of the white dragon.

Li Yuhua twisted in the air from the blow, roaring in pain. She quickly recovered, though not without noticing the loss of weight on her lower body. She glanced forward, only to see the black dragon smiling at her victoriously.

She quickly looked back and saw blood on her ivory scales, but no princess. Her pupils shrank, panic filled her. Her silver eyes dropped only to see her princess plummeting toward the faraway landscape below.

"Gōngzhǔ Kagome," roared Li Yuhua as she swiftly curved herself into a perfect figure eight, shifting downward in direction.

"Li Yuhua," cried the falling princess.

Kagome pierced through the icy winter clouds; her celestial peach hanfu gown fluttered in the air as she fought to breathe against the suffocating West wind. Blood from the wound on her shoulder spiraled up her sleeve and dripped from her fingertips. Her vision blurred as she saw her dragon's arm extend out toward her.

"Hold on Gōngzhǔ," shouted the dragon as she aimed to grasp the princess.

"Save me," Kagome whispered as she reached toward the outstretched golden claws that gleamed in the sunlight above her.

Kagome's heart started to beat slower, her eyes drifted closed, and she lost consciousness due to the lack of air. Li Yuhua almost had the girl in her grasp when she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head to look, but it was too late as a huge black tail smacked into her.

A thunderous crack filled the air the moment the massive barbs on the obsidian tail shattered Li Yuhua's scales and sunk deep into her side. The white dragon screamed out in agony at the searing pain that gripped her entire body.

She glanced over her shoulder with a wince and saw her white flesh bubbling brightly with an acidic violet color. Poison, this guy was no ordinary dragon. Only one distinct family of black dragons produced this toxin. The traitors to dragonkin, the Yu family from the East. Li Yuhua knew stories of the family, and how they turned on their breed to serve the Sandlands. This dragon was probably the eldest son of Yu Wei Qing The Betrayer.

"Your name is Ranmaru is it not? Why have you committed this crime against the royal family of the South," Li Yuhua growled. The black Ryu gave her a malicious grin as he coiled his body around hers, bringing the smaller dragon closer to him.

"You're correct, little serpent! I am Yu Ranmaru, and I've come to return a favor to the Li family for the murder of my sister, by killing you! Amyr (Prince) Naraku of the East sends his regards,"The black dragon chuckled. Li Yuhua winced as his tail shifted, squeezing her tightly.

"My family will kill you for this," she spat.

The black dragon snorted and thrust his tail forward. He sent her flying off in the distance over the horizon. A shriek left Li Yuhua's jaws, and silvery blood sprayed out across the heavens. She had failed her lady and was unable to protect the jewel of her land.

"One down, ten more to go," vowed the black dragon.

Ranmaru smirked at the gleaming star in the distance, before turning his attention back to the mission at hand. He dove toward the falling princess, making great haste through the clouds. His massive claws reached out toward the tiny human. He grasped her gently and slowed his pace hovering above the white peak of a mountain. Ranmaru smirked as he ascended into the sky before heading in the direction of the East.

End.

Feel free to drop a review and let me know what ya think! Constructive criticisms are very much appreciated.

Until next time, GR.


	3. A Dragon's Captive

The Winter That Brought A Stray.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, all credit goes to Rumiko Takahashi.

Note: This story will start rather slow, and chapters will be short. However, please be patient and respect the adventure that is to come.

-A Dragon's Captive-

Over the center of the western lands hovered an enormous dragon three-eyed black dragon with a pretty little mortal within his claws. The eye between his spiraling horns contracted, from the mists, appeared demonic forms. Winged scamps from the land of Yomi hovered around the human in his talons. They came for the princess. Ranmaru feared that the girl would die until he heard the slight of a heartbeat. One of the servants from Yomi reached for Kagome and grasped her by the wrist, trying to pull her glowing soul from her body. She was about to give in when a divine voice whispered into her ear.

 _Do not give in, princess! Your story does not end here, for you've only just begun! Use your inner power, send them back to Izunami screaming!_

Ranmaru watched silently as blushing flames spread from her hand. Her soul reached out and grasped the demon by its gray face. Perhaps the little princess was not as weak as the dragon initially thought. She clenched her jaw and chanted a prayer her mother taught her. The words caused the flares of her soul to thicken, spiraling up her arm toward the demon. The dragon felt the purity caress him and warmth spread throughout his entire being. He found it strange that her power did not seak to harm him.

 _Just who is this princess?_ He wondered, watching the collector demon's demise. It screamed as the fire purified it into glowing blue ashes. _It looks like there's more than meets the eye to this lovely princess,_ Ranmaru thought amusedly.

The other demons quickly shook their heads and turned tail. They flew away into a portal that bridged the two worlds. The portal swirled and shuddered, collapsing into itself which ended in a burst of black flames. _Cowards,_ thought the dragon as he released a puff of smoke.

"Death has yet to claim you, as your heart beats still. Open your eyes! Southern princess, awaken from your slumber," a mysterious voice called out to her.

Ranmaru smirked as contractions of the mortal's heart grow stronger. She gasped, sucking in as much air as her lungs would allow. The loss of blood from the wound on her shoulder complicated her breathing. Slowly Kagome opened her eyes, rousing from her stasis. She glanced around dizzily only to find that the scales under her fingertips were of shining obsidian and not ivory. She peeped down over the side of the scaled appendages discovering that she and the beast were drifting in the fluffy clouds.

Panic gripped Kagome as she whipped her head back and gaped up at the dragon that held her. His enormous head appeared through the thick dark smoke. Fumes puffed from his nostrils and ash dripped from his open mouth. A wide grin of great serrated teeth greeted her, and three fiery red eyes bore into hers. A crown of fire spread from his twisted horns. She shivered in terror at the monstrous creature that possessed her.

"Fear me not Amyra (Princess). Though you smell delicious, know that I do not seek to cause you harm," the black dragon assured. Well, he tried. To her, his voice boomed like thunder and sizzled as cool summer rain did on a hot stone. She drew no comfort from the tone; it only served to quicken the pace of her weak heart.

"T-then why did you chase me? Who are you? Why did you attack my friend," Kagome shot off.

"My name is Yu Ranmaru. My mission is to deliver you to Amyr (Prince) Naraku of the East, son of Malik (King) Zasamael who rules over the Saahi Nation across the sea. My Amyr requested that I deliver you to him alive and unharmed. Your dragon friend, on the other hand, was an expendable nuisance," Ranmaru replied simply.

"Prince of the East? What could he possibly want with me? Where is Li Yuhua now," she asked slowly.

"Lying dead in a field somewhere for all I care. The toxin I injected her with is almost certain to cause death, so rest assured she's no longer able to assist you. She was weak. Quite a pity though, I expected more from a dragon of the Li family. Oh well," he guffawed. Tears welled in Kagome's eyes as she thought of her friend.

 _Li Yuhua got hurt because of me! She's dead because I asked her to help me,_ Kagome sobbed internally.

"Oh my dear Li Yuhua, forgive me," she cried. The dragon's nose flared causing discs of ash and soot to fly out into the air.

"Tsk, Tsk, now princess. That slave dragon is not worth the tears you shed. I did her a favor," Ranmaru laughed.

"You monster, how can you be so cruel? Li Yuhua was my friend and she would never hurt anyone without a just cause! She was kind, and she was a better dragon than you!" The princess spat.

"A pretty thing you are, but mouthy. Hm, I think I liked you better when you were sleep." The dragon hissed causing a plume of violet fire to escape the corners of his mouth.

Kagome felt the grip on her tighten on her. She panted loudly, trying to draw breath into her lungs. Her vision hazed and her lids fell over her disoriented blue eyes. He watched the princess in his grasp slump over. He didn't want to silence her but she'd be more easy to deal with like this.

Perhaps the little lotus flower would accept him better in his human form when they landed at the edge of the Eastern border of Saahi. He was interested to see how this little lotus would fair in the desert city of Aroura Zahia. Ranmaru suddenly turned his attention away from his captive and sniffed the air once. His lip curled up and a growl ripped from his leathery throat. If ever a dragon did look unamused, it was Ranmaru who pulled off such a feat. The stench reeked of crows. Oh, how he hated those damn birds.

End.

Note: Oh, looks like someone's got a soft spot for our princess. Er, maybe? Do you guys think Ranmaru would be less frightening in his human form? Poor Kagome! Who will save her from this mean dragon with a hatred for crows?

Feel free to drop a review and let me know what ya think! Constructive criticisms are very much appreciated.

Until next time, GR.


	4. Crows

The Winter That Brought A Stray.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, all credit goes to Rumiko Takahashi.

Note: This story will start rather slow, and chapters will be short. However, please be patient and respect the adventure that is to come.

-Crows-

From the clouds, two tengu twins appeared. A female with short blue hair and glassy pink eyes glared at the dragon. She donned a loose short black fighting kimono with silver flames. A large red front bow held the kimono in place, though it exposed the sarashi over her petite breasts. Tiny anklets of green prayer beads dressed rested against the black cloth wrapped around her ankles.

She wielded an enchanted long katana, nodachi. The nodachi with the red hilt in her black clawed grasp was two times her size in hight and bore ancient markings of her clan. Next to her was a handsome male with small wings and blue full haired topknot. His right eye displayed long green lashes that held a tint of blue in them. He wore a black yukata with a silver khakkhara in his hand.

"Release her you overgrown lizard," demanded the spunky female.

"Oh look some pesky birds! Go away damned chickens, this does not concern you," Ranmaru growled down to them. The violet scales that made up his brows furrowed in annoyance.

"Silence your tongue! We are not chickens. We are Yoshie and Shizuka of the proud Tengu! We've come at the behest of the great Lord Byakuya! Surrender the princess to us!" The handsome male tengu ordered.

"Why would I care what Lord Byakuya wants? He's nothing but a gutless peacock," mocked Ranmaru.

"Shut your mouth! I will not allow you to speak ill of our great Lord Byakuya," Shizuka snapped defensively.

"I wonder, will you pidgeons scream as loud as your brethren did when my father and I burned them alive during the War of The Four Kingdoms?" Ranmaru taunted down to the female tengu.

"For that, you will suffer lizard," Shizuka swore as she left her brother's side and charged him. Ranmaru grinned viciously as the bird came toward him. He thrust his head forward, black mouth wide with the intention to eat the bird. Shizuka smirked, she drew her wings into herself and propelled herself to the far left. She heard the gnash of his jaw snapping close to her. He short hair and kimono rustled as she ducked and dropped from the air, swooping under the dragon's chin.

The dragon feared he had underestimated the little bird's skill when she dodged his teeth and dove under his jaw. Shizuka flipped forward in the air with her nodachi poised at her side for a strike. She thrust the sword out as she glided along the dragon's neck. She delivered a smooth slice across a patch of massive scales.

The mystic blade pierced Ranmaru's armored coverings leaving violet blood gushing into the air. The strike caused Ranmaru's hold on Kagome to slip, and she fell straight into a Shizuka's possession. The tengu pitied the pretty princess a moment, and then she glanced over her shoulder at her brother.

"Ne Yoshie! Catch," she called victoriously. Yoshie raised his arms high as his sister tossed the princess down to him. She then turned her attention back to the bleeding dragon in front of her.

"For that _bitch_ , you _die_ ," Ranmaru roared puffing himself up for an attack. A glow started in his throat and electricity zipped through his sharp teeth. Frightening purple fire bubbled in his throat. Shizuka flapped her short wings glaring defiantly into the mouth of Hell. The beaded rosaries around her ankles glowed with her youkai as she focused her energy and charged her nodachi. Angling her sword, Shizuka smirked. She prepared to do the impossible. She was going to cut through a dragon's fire.

Yoshie flapped his wings moving to the right a bit, trying to align himself with the falling girl. He waited just as her body approached him, smirking as he knew they'd beat that dumb dragon. Suddenly a divine gust of wind from the North struck the young crow and altered his position. The wind acted in the guise of a demon and took hold of Yoshie's wings, immobilizing them. He dropped in the air struggling to remove his attacker.

He freed one of his wings from the wind demon's grasp and knocked him off with a charge from his khakkhara. The wind spirit screamed as its form turned black and sizzled away into emptiness. Yoshie's flapped his wings hurridly to reclaim his position in the sky. His arm extended out to save the approaching princess, but it proved futile. The young tengu's eyes widened as the princess's body fell right out of reach.

"Princess," Yoshie gaped.

Shizuka was too busy to notice Yoshie's blunder as she propelled herself forward into the line of fire. The crow brother watched his sister in awe. She grinned at how effortlessly her nodachi sliced through the enchanted violet fire.

All three of Ranmaru's eyes narrowed. He coiled back into himself like a snake, thrusting his tail forward toward the troublesome tengu. She made use of her short black wings, wrapping them around her body. She fell through the deadly barbs, swaying out of their way with ease.

"Yahoooo," she cheered as she thrust her wings out and spiraled up the dragon's tail. She twirled in the air beautifully and angled her blade to a strike. Ranmaru screamed as the little tengu bitch's nodachi broke through his armored obsidian scales, and sunk into his flesh.

"I will enjoy this," Shizuka grinned as she used her nodachi to hack a chunk of the great dragon's body away. It earned her another cry from Ranmaru's great maw.

Yoshie suddenly remembered his mission and dove for the princess. Just as his hand was about to grasp hers, she passed through a sizeable golden barrier. The young tengu's green eyes widened, and he scrambled flapping his juvenile wings, but he couldn't slow his speed quick enough. Yoshie crashed into it. The golden wall flexed against him and seared the flesh and feathers that touched it.

In the act of defense, the barrier ejected the crow far into the air. Yoshie cried out as he propelled upward uncontrollably. He shot across the sky with his skin, hair, and wings smoking. He tried to gain control by curling into himself as his wings drooped over him.

His speed slowed, and he thrust his singed black wings out to the air, catching on to a flowing current. Yoshie panted, sweeping his green eyes over his blistering red skin. The burns, though severe, would heal over time. He turned his head over his shoulder, looking at the land below.

The barrier covered all in its vastness, proving itself to be a symbol of grand power. Such a power could only belong to, Sesshomaru the Lord of The West. Yoshie frowned as he glanced up at the black clouds of dragon smoke obscuring the battle above. He knew he would be in great trouble for losing the princess with not only his sister and clan but his lord too.

End.

Notes: I know some of you are probably thinking right now, "You had one job Yoshie! ONE JOB!" Young Tengu, what can I say?

Feel free to drop a review and let me know what ya think! Constructive criticisms are very much appreciated.

Until next time, GR.


	5. Sesshomaru's Wish

The Winter That Brought A Stray.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, all credit goes to Rumiko Takahashi.

Note: This story will start rather slow, and chapters will be short. However, please be patient and respect the adventure that is to come. Don't kill me for this chapter, hehe.

-Sesshomaru's Wish-

Sesshomaru knelt in the snow under a shower of glistening light, facing a mighty sword stuck in the ground. He and the sword resided at the edge of the meadow under a massive frozen sakura tree. His father came here to pray often when his mind was out of sorts. Sesshomaru didn't honestly believe in it, but a little prayer would not harm him. His hair shone in the light like liquid moonlight against his radiant pale skin. Fragments of starlight twinkled within the stray strands as they blew across his handsome face and spilled down his winter haori.

 _Ask my son, ask,_ encouraged a voice in his head.

"Oh Kami above, hear this one's plea. Bear witness to my desire as I bask in your holy light. I ask for a woman, a worthy mate, not a paramour. May she fall straight from your arms. Deliver her to me, so that I won't have to continue my father's legacy with a fish," he prayed out loud.

Sesshomaru's burning gold eyes were cast down to the sword in a worn plinth covered by sparkling ice near the protruding snowy roots of the great tree. At that exact moment, a body appeared in the sky. It fell at a moderate speed, snapping a few branches as it fell through the trees. It landed a few feet away in the snow with a slight thud. A sudden noise from behind him interrupted his thoughts.

Sesshomaru's eyes left his father's fang, and he raised from his haunches fluidly. He turned toward in the direction of the noise. Brushing a few branches covered with bright red berries aside with his clawed hand, Sesshomaru discovered a girl lying in the snow near a pair of intertwining trees.

Though she was human, she was the most beautiful female. Sesshomaru felt his chest tighten instantly with a strange emotion; warmth bloomed within his chest and heat burned his insides. In his mind, his bestial side perked its ears up at the flames of lust.

The girl's small nose fit her heart-shaped face perfectly. Sesshomaru's mouth moistened as he eyed those full pink lips that stood out against her flawless pale skin and thin, perfect brows. The demon lord had never laid eyes on such an elegant woman before.

The Chinese haori she wore laid open, exposing the soft peach ruqun/dress she wore. Her wears were too regal for an ordinary girl. The threads that bound her body were the silks of royalty. The dress came just over the collarbone and fanned out, almost hiding her bountiful bosom from Sesshomaru's greedy eyes.

He knelt next to her and brushed away the frozen flowers, petals, and branches that rested along her silk sleeves. The lower his eyes traced, the more modest the dress became and otherwise gave away no shape of her body. His beast whined at the object that obscured the view, but Sesshomaru hushed it.

His clawed fingers parted the crimson stained layers of her dress, revealing the right side of her bare shoulder. The beast began to wag his tail, drooling until Sesshomaru smelled two things. The overly musky scent of a male dragon and female blood. He sniffed closer to her, scenting that she still possessed her innocence. There was older blood indicating that she had sustained injury possibly before the fall.

Her hair parted down the middle of her skull and framed her delicate heart-shaped face. Her tresses fanned out above her laying across the snow and over tree roots. Sesshomaru took close notice of how long the onna's hair was. He found himself enamored with her thick ebony curls she possessed and went as far as to touch it. He purred at the softness under his fingertips. Knowing the cause of the noise, he glared at his inner beast whose ears drooped at his master's unamused expression.

An idea came to mind, one that would be quite compromising if performed on an awakened maiden. The silver-haired lord bent forward and gently sniffed the sweet-smelling strands in his hand. Had the gods honestly heard him? Sesshomaru glanced up curiously at a space where the once woven branches overhead embraced. The cracked branches and light splatter of bloody scrapes across the snow seemed to confirm his suspicions. The girl had indeed fallen from the sky.

"Did the gods truly bring you to me, little onna?" Sesshomaru asked down to the beauty lying among the mounds of sparkling white. Thin particles of ice sparkled in the air like diamond dust around the two. He leaned down over her causing some of his elegant silver hair to fall over his shoulders.

A pink glow illuminated the princess's felt the awakening holy aura of the female caress him. He allowed it to roam over him amused that it was trying to perceive if he was a threat or not. Sesshomaru gave the podding pink reiki a flick with his yokai, and it retaliated by burning him slightly. It was clear to him that she was unconsciously warning him to back away. The killing perfection pushed back with his youkai in defense.

Sesshomaru's youkai wound tightly around her reiki in an attempt to dominate it. A strange sensation of urgency pulse through him. His demonic blood was demanding something from him. Something, carnal. The demon lord couldn't help himself as he moved closer to the snow maiden. His lips stopped within an inch of hers.

He knew it was wrong, but it would be a shame if he didn't kiss his woman. Wait a moment, just when did she become his? Why was he acting like this? He didn't know, but he didn't want to stop it either. Just as Sesshomaru's lips slanted over hers, the girl's beat heart quickened. _So she's aware of what's going on, how exciting,_ he mused.

Kagome sensed someone kissing her. Someone was stealing her precious first kiss! Unforgivable! Whoever decided to take her lips was enjoying themselves, as was she. Not that it mattered because nobody should be kissing her without her consent! She wanted to pull away and slap the pervert but couldn't will herself to move.

Sesshomaru smirked as he sensed the slightest hint of arousal from the girl below. He decided to deepen the kiss by parting her lips with his own. She tasted of sweetness and citrusy spice, similar to mikan honey. A shudder ran down her body as his tongue delved between her lips.

 _No! No! My first kiss shouldn't be happening like this,_ Kagome thought in a panic. Both of them felt her divine energy nearing the edge of submission to his. _They may be strong, this person. However, I won't be won over that smoothly,_ Kagome mused.

Sesshomaru smirked against the maiden's lips as he felt the body below his shift. He opened his cat-like golden eyes and glanced down at the onna. His mouth continued to caress hers for a few moments more before he pulled away from her. The kiss produced a thin ribbon of saliva between their mouths. He licked his lips, and it broke apart.

Kagome found her will. Her eyes shot open surprising him as she sucked in a breath. Her pale blue eyes glowed against her milky skin. Sesshomaru tensed as he felt the cold kiss of a blade against his throat.

"Who are you," she asked in a low tone.

End.

Notes: Now Sesshomaru, your mother taught you better than that! What a naughty pervert.

Feel free to drop a review and let me know what ya think! Constructive criticisms are very much appreciated.

Until next time, GR.


	6. Amid The Snow And Frozen Flowers

The Winter That Brought A Stray.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, all credit goes to Rumiko Takahashi.

Note: Sorry it took so long for this chapter! I'm delighted with the reviews! I am glad you guys are enjoying this story! I know Sesshomaru is a little OOC, but I went with a different approach rather than the off the bat cold persona for which he's known. This story will start rather slow, and chapters will be short. However, please be patient and respect the adventure that is to come!

-Amid The Snow And Frozen Flowers-

"Who are you?"

The awakened maiden laid upon a bed of snow and blushing flowers, poised cautiously with an expectant look cast toward the male above her. The wide arches of the girl's refined blue-jadeite eyes met Sesshomaru's molten gold. Her glowing skin hailed of the moon, soft ebony hair kissed by midnight, and juicy lips the color of sweet litchi berries rendered the demon-lord speechless.

The girl's obsidian tresses laid spread around her like a black halo across the carpet of sparkling white and pink petals. Sesshomaru held a few silken strands between his fingers, thumbing the once virgin snow that clung to them. The furrow of her little brows and the delicate parting of her juicy lips charmed him.

The soft flutter of her full black lashes over those doe-like eyes of hers brought his heart to heel. The haunting color of her eyes tied all her maidenly features together alluringly before his eyes. If the lord was stunned, his face revealed nothing.

"Who are you?" She asked again, pressing the tip of her dagger into the pale flesh of his neck. Sesshomaru immediately stopped appraising her as the blade made itself known once again.

He responded by giving her the slightest smirk, then leaned down to kiss her. She gasped lightly tipping her wrist back to keep the edge of her dagger from cutting him. He let his lips hover just above hers. Sesshomaru said nothing as he allowed those lovely blue eyes to roam over him.

A light dust of blush sprinkled in on Kagome's cheeks at the closeness of the handsome man with beautiful golden eyes looming over her. Thick flurries liken to angel's wings descended from the washed out heavens upon the pair.

She viewed the snowy feathers fluttering down from the sky. They landed on the man's gleaming silver hair, serving only to increase his unique radiance in the snowscape that surrounded him. She noticed two thin maroon stripes of great heritage showed on the back of his clawed hand as he reached up to his hair.

He combed his long fingers through his bountiful silver locks, revealing more marks of royalty along the curves of his cheeks and dead center of his forehead. Kagome was instantly beside herself in silent amazement at such a proud display of arrogance from the silver-haired man above her.

Kagome recognized that this attractive man was not a human, but a demon. Her eyes traced his jawline, and the length of his pale neck. This gorgeous demon possessed an elegant straight nose and soft looking lips. Those same lips, she remembered, were the very same that had so passionately pressed against hers not too long ago.

 _Just who is this handsome villain?_ She wondered in awe.

"I can hear your heart beating away so hurriedly. Could it be you've fallen for me already? Do you yearn for another passionate caress from my lips to your own? What a bold maiden you are!" Sesshomaru whispered into her ear. He leaned back, watching the poor girl go through six shades of red, comically stuttering.

"Li-li-listen here! It is you sir who plays the role of the fox! Be quick with your name, you malevolent tempter! You, who would rob a maiden of her first kiss!" Kagome charged.

"Malevolent tempter? Why my ears have not heard that one before. First kiss, hm? You must feel honored then. Would you like to be honored further?" Sesshomaru purred down to the frustrated girl. He viewed the deep shade of rose that colored her cheeks with amusement.

The scale in Kagome's head tipped from attractive toward annoyance. The way the looming devil above twisted his words was dangerous to her. She refused to let him play with her pure mind!

 _Does this devil not fear for his life? Does my dagger against his jugular mean nothing to him?_

She guessed not for the demon remained unbothered by it. Sesshomaru noticed much to his disappointment that the girl wasn't the least bit interested in what he was offering.

"Don't you know royalty when you see it, my little butterfly? My name is Sesshomaru, I am the Inu Daiyoukai ruler of the Western Territories," he revealed proudly in a more lordly fashion. As she listened to the demon lord's voice in its entirety, she found that it was the embodiment of winter. She privately savored the deep icy timbre as it chilled her pleasurably to the bone.

"Hmph! Tell me Lord Sesshomaru, is in the ways of Western royalty to impose your affection unwarrantedly upon unconscious maidens you find laying in the snow? Perhaps you are the one who has fallen for me!" She accused with a pointed look.

Sesshomaru heard the sass in her tone and blinked once as if he were surprised by her sharp tongue. So the girl could make sharp retorts if she wanted. How interesting.

The demon lord offered no explanations for his actions against her as he shifted away from her blade. He swiftly sat back on his haunches from his position over the maiden and rose quickly from the snow.

Sesshomaru stood above the little human with his hands on his hips. His usual white apparel blended with the snow, providing him with a visage of purity. Kagome mistook the demon's silence as an admission of guilt. He had to hold down the chuckle his throat at her triumphant expression.

A frightening smile befell his expression, and his thinning lips revealed his fangs. Kagome's smirk fell away. She tensed at the sight of his sharp teeth but didn't tremble under his commanding gaze. He saw the little human slip her dagger back into its clever hiding place within her sleeve.

Sesshomaru observed her as she took a moment to get to her feet, fussing with the heaviness of her bright multi-layered royal hanfu. He wondered if he should assist her, but thought better of it. The little female was more deadly than she looked.

Once steady, Kagome glanced up at the lord realizing her head came just under his chest. She couldn't help but to gape as she tilted her head back, taking in his full hight. The demon lord had to be several heads taller than her. She mentally noted that his long legs would surely give him advantage should she decide to run from him at a later point.

Sesshomaru noticed the frozen pink petals in her hair and reached out. He claimed the errant lock of hair laying innocently against her breast and brought them up to his lips in a gesture of affection. He savored the delicate gasp from her lips and enjoyed the satiny softness of her tresses between his claws.

"A nameless maiden from the sky is unquestionably suited to be mine. Does such a radiant beauty have a name, I wonder?" He requested, thumbing over the strands in his grasp.

Kagome's eyes nearly popped out of her skull. This perverse demon, he was caressing her hair so intimately. She threw a disapproving look at the devil for his shamelessness and the molesting of her hair, but she could not stop the effect his actions and words had on her.

"Well, you can keep on wondering! I do not belong to anyone! If you thought for a moment that such trivial temptations would work on me, then you are as dumb as a brick! If you are a lord, then I am a purveyor of the finest jokes! Now, unhand my hair!" She stomped her little foot in the snow and tugged her hair free from his claws.

Sesshomaru drew back and quirked his brow at the sharp tongue of the little female in his company. It surprised him that she wasn't begging for his embrace. Every woman he'd come to know desired or feared him, but not this one.

 _So feisty, and so delicate._ Sesshomaru thought bemusedly.

This mysterious female was the type he sought for but never found among the hens in his courts. Despite learning of his status, the girl dared to spit such insults against him from that pretty mouth. A lovely mouth that had undeniably just sealed her fate.

A single word crossed the demon's mind at that moment. _Worthy_. Sesshomaru gave the little maiden a feral look. Kagome's eyes narrowed, and she took a few sharp-footed steps back from the towering silver-haired devil.

Sesshomaru quirked an eyebrow at the quickness of her actions. Her suspicious eyes conveyed all to him. She didn't trust him, not one bit. Her reactions, however, only made him want to tease her more. For every step back she took, he matched it, drawing closer to her. A sizeable deep circle of treads later, all movement aside from the falling snow ceased. They stood across from each other, as the icy feathers descended around them, staring intensely at one another.

Kagome knew the demon was toying with her, but for what reason? Due to the many stories grandpa once told her of Inu-kind, she was unsure whether this demon would eat her or not. Was this all a dream? Was she genuinely alive right now?

The princess clenched her bloody dressings and dug her fingernails into the wounded shoulder in an attempt to wake herself up. She blinked her eyes, then rolled her arm to test the extent of her hand slid into her robes, pushing the fabric off her shoulder so she could view her wound.

The eyes of Sesshomaru and his beast immediately zeroed in on the naked flesh displayed to them. _To have, or not to have?_ That was the question between master and beast. The lord's internal struggle was lost on Kagome as she looked at herself. The cut from the assassin's blade had healed mysteriously; The princess was amazed.

No remnants of the ugly injury lingered, and if Kagome considered it, she didn't seem to have sustained damages from her great fall. She hid her bewilderment at her situation well, glancing up at where she had crashed through the trees.

 _Have the gods protected me? How has this wound come to heal so?_

She looked to her left to where the snow-covered tracks disappeared behind the thick twines of bramble littered with frozen berries, then to the right of the frosty gardens edged by brown grasses. Finding no possible correct path, the princess decided she'd have to ask the demon lord for help. She didn't want the smooth-tongued lothario of a lord's assistance, but there was no other choice. These were his lands after all, and only the demon lord himself could point her in the right direction.

 _Oh Li Yuhua, wait for me! Just hold on, I will save you, and we will get to the Den of The Northern Wolves!_ Kagome internally promised.

"I require your help, Lord Sesshomaru of the West." the maiden spoke suddenly, lowering her head respectfully.

The shift in her attitude surprised Sesshomaru. He mentally praised the way her swaying hair would've brushed her ankles if they were visible. He approached her, silently pleased that she remained as she was.

Kagome held her breath the moment his fingers found the underside of her chin. He forced her to look up at him. She stopped the shudder that attempted to make its way down her spine at his touch. She'd be damned before she let this demon corrupt her.

"I think I like how my name sounds coming from your lips, my little butterfly. However, I require one thing from you before I lend my assistance." Sesshomaru replied in a dangerous tone.

 _Oh, such power in his voice and those pale velvety lips. No! Stop it Kagome! You must not let this seducer ensnare you into his power!_

The demon lord's overly erotic voice was inviting if not more to Kagome. She cursed her fluttering heart. She privately vowed to keep herself from falling for the lord's charm in the future.

"And that thing would be," came her gentle reply. Her lashes fluttered teasingly over her misty eyes. Sesshomaru merely glanced at the seemingly innocent maiden; she was provoking him with just her gaze alone.

"Your name. Who are you, girl?" Sesshomaru questioned in a tone heavy with seriousness. _His voice_ , Kagome thought, _though intense and intimidating, truly reflects a lord's_.

"My name is Kagome Higurashi! I am the daughter of Chūn Tiān from Shèng Guāng Chéng," she revealed proudly.

"Your mother is Chūn Tiān, the Queen-Priestess of The South? That makes you the princess of the famed City of Holy Light! Tell me, _princess_ , are the walls of your city truly lined with jade? Is that the reason most call it The City of Envy?" Sesshomaru probed, interested in the prospect of his little butterfly's wealth and royal status.

The princess blushed furiously at the comment. Though Kagome knew the lord meant no disrespect, it didn't stop the flicker of protectiveness she felt for her home. It was because of falsified information and hateful lies that Shèng Guāng Chéng had an ugly reputation.

"Yes," she answered as she shivered slightly from the cold.

Sesshomaru stood close to her, pressing his body into hers. The act was intended for them to share in his body heat, as was the natural instinct of an Inu concerning his pack members. However, the princess was having none of it. She tried to retain some modesty by backing away from the demon, but a clawed hindered her escape.

Sesshomaru grasped Kagome by the silky bow at the center of her breasts and pulled her even closer. He ignored the shock on her face as his arms wrapped around her delicate frame, drawing the little female into his chest and cementing her to his person. Her peach silks brushed against his white ones. The flustered princess opened her mouth to protest more, but he merely shook his head.

"Proceed with your elucidation," Sesshomaru instructed gently. To his satisfaction she nodded her head, cheeks reddening, and continued.

"The outside walls of Shèng Guāng Chéng are lined with jade. However, it is not the priceless green that everyone assumes, but another type of jade. White jade. While The South is famed for my family's jade deposits, certain forms and colors are sacred to us. The White jade in outside walls is a source of protection against demons or evildoers."

Sesshomaru's eyes grew brighter at her words. The princess' enlightenment of Shèng Guāng Chéng stripped away some of the rougher assumptions he'd gathered about the city from past rumors.

"You've satisfied me with your tellings. Princess Kagome, what is it you require of this one?" He asked down to her. Kagome's shoulders lowered slightly in relief at his words, though she was still uncomfortable with being in his arms. Kagome found herself unable to give the lord her full attention for fear of herself becoming lost in those golden eyes. So, she gazed at the beautiful snowy setting instead of him.

 _Do not fall for him! He's a demon! That goes against everything your mother taught you!_ An internal voice warned her.

"I ran into some misfortune and fell from the sky. I do not wish to bring you trouble, Lord Sesshomaru. I just want to find my dragon friend and the road to the Den of The Northern Wolves."

Sesshomaru heard her but didn't reply, the tips of his ears turned red. Small dark clouds of jealous crowded his thoughts at the mentions of the dragon. So the male dragon was her companion. Perhaps he might also be more, considering heaviness of his scent on her. Oh had the thought of another male wanting her angered him so.

 _The Northern wolves? Why would_ _Chūn Tiān's_ _daughter_ _be going to those flea-bitten barbarians? Should I tell the princess of what the wolves do to girls her age? That the pack shares **everything**? Even after she pulled a blade on me? Well, I did claim her virgin lips for myself. _

He shook his head at the sensations running through his body at that thought.

 _Oh think now Sesshomaru, she is a lovely princess, strong of her virtue and in her moral standing. This chanced meeting between the girl and I could prove beneficial._

The princess had guts, beauty, and intelligence none the less. She managed to both impress him and annoy him. A great feat not done by many, and most that had, didn't live to tell about it. The demon lord had much to consider when it came to the well-being of the little princess in his company.

End.

Notes: Sesshomaru is quite the hands-on kind of man, in case you didn't know. Poor Kagome!

Feel free to drop a review and let me know what ya think! Constructive criticisms are very much appreciated.

Until next time, GR.


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